Moisturize,Seal, Protective Style....Rinse and Repeat

I am happy to report that I have been holding steady with my "new and improved" regimen.  Instead of focusing on growth, I am working on retaining and caring for my hair.  Recently, I adapted the following regimen:

• Washing (with a sulfate free shampoo) once a week
• Deep Conditioning/Steaming Once a Week
• Keeping my hair is braids/cornrows under a wig or instant weave for one week

This has been working pretty well for me.  I can admit that my hair ADD is getting the best of me.  I am growing tired of the same ole look with my instant weaves.  I was really wanting a sew in...but don't want to depart from my regimen.  This lead to the creation of my first U part wig.  I made the wig and cut it in a bob style.  I could have done a better job with the combs and the cap is a little big...but overall I am pleased.

A little more about my regimen, what makes it work so well is HOW my hair is braided.  I pray each piece of hair with a mixture of braid spray and infusium 2, coat it with a deep conditioner and an oil.  When I finally take my braids down at the end  of the week...super moisturized hair.  Have to love it!

When I started this journey, my hair was shedding really bad.  I have started using Alter Ego Hot Oil Treatment once every other week.  A month later, I barely see any shed hair after being braided for a week! How great is that?!

Pictures of my U Part Wig coming soon...in the meantime...here is a sneak peek!

Annual Check In| I Officially Suck

Well it appears things are right on schedule for my annual check in. *insert shame here*  I can't believe it has been 12 whole months since I've updated here.  As mentioned in my last post, I have decided to transition BACK to my natural hair.  I knew immediately after getting a relaxer in 2010 I would soon come back to the light.

After a fifteen month transition, I finally cut what I THOUGHT was all of my relaxed ends of in early September 2012.  I wasn't too pleased with my results.  My second  third transition was quite different from my first second.  This time my style of choice was a sew in weave.  I can say that I was able to retain a great amount of length, but the thickness of my suffered greatly.  Also, this time, instead of chopping at home, I went to a salon for a professional job.  For the sake of vanity, she left a bit of relaxed ends in by bang area.  Now here's where it gets tricky.  When I started my transition, my nape was shaved.  With that being said, I have been fully natural in the every back of my head from quite some time.  Well after my "chop", I went home to wash only to discover heat damage.  The stylist did a great job but my delicate strands just couldn't take the heat.  I will soon be doing a "corrective chop" to get rid of my straight ends.

(Wet hair before I went for my "chop")

(one year of progress thanks to a sew in...before my "chop")

(After my chop)

Currently, my hair is a bit thin for my taste and a little short as well.  I am at a similar length as my first BC only without the thickness.  I have decided to take a personal "challenge".  After growing tired of my hair and it's appearance, I took to LHCF (Long Hair Care Forum) for ideas for tweaking my regimen.  I have come up with a modified Deep Moisture Method.  In coming days I will share pics of my starting point and detail of my "challenge".

In the meantime, here is a recent pic of me in my former staple....the instant weave!